


the stars are a sea

by benzedrine_calmstheitch



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Food mention, M/M, Post-Canon, South Downs Cottage (Good Omens), Stargazing, author reserves the right to take astronomical liberties, in this house we love and support Jeremy Wensleydale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26417011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/benzedrine_calmstheitch/pseuds/benzedrine_calmstheitch
Summary: In a night of stargazing with the Them, Aziraphale learns yet again how far Crowley will go for him.Written for SOSH Guess the Author #5 - "A summer night in the South Downs."
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 38
Collections: SOSH - Guess the Author #05 "A summer night in the South Downs"





	the stars are a sea

**Author's Note:**

> dear reader, please leave all pre-existing knowledge of astronomy behind when entering this fic.

clickclickclick. Crowley snaps out the legs of the tripod and plants the telescope as near the cliff’s edge as he thought was safe (about two paces closer to the lip than Aziraphale considered a safe distance), facing due south over the sea. After a moment’s fiddling, he announces to the four children and one eternal being, all busily munching away on Hobnobs, “Alright, we’re all focused on Centaurus. Who’s first?”

Adam’s eyes light up as he strides to the telescope. “I’d like to see, Mr. Crowley.”

Crowley instructs him on the stars he’s seeing, how they together form the constellation, while the rest of the Them stare at the sky with their naked eyes. Soon, Brian points out a sharp light in the sky. “Lookit that one! That must be a planet, it’s so bright!”

“Actually, that’s the binary star Alpha Centauri,” Wensleydale helpfully chimes in. “It’s technically a star system of two stars, so close together that they appear to be a single star. . .”

Aziraphale usually keeps up with young Jeremy until he tires himself out, but at the words  _ Alpha Centauri _ , his head snaps up to stare at a certain demon, who is adamantly continuing to adjust the telescope for Adam, never mind that the Antichrist has already lost interest in stars in favor of another Hobnob.

“. . .the closest exoplanet to Earth, named Proxima B, was recently discovered in the system. Its discovery is a bit odd, though, as that part of the sky was thought to be well-charted. As if a new planet just sprang into creation. . .” Wensleydale peters out as Pepper slides over to the now unoccupied telescope to take a look at Centaurus for herself. Meanwhile, Aziraphale walks up to the cliff’s edge where Crowley has meandered to the very edge of the world.

Crowley swallows. Takes his time. Aziraphale lets him.

“I was always fond of Alpha Centauri. Some of my best work, there.” He keeps his eyes fixed on the horizon.

“So when you said we could run away together. . .” Aziraphale had always thought of Crowley’s plea as more desperate dancing on consecrated ground. He had no idea Crowley had planned for their future together, even as the world was ending. “You meant that. Another demonic miracle up your sleeve.” 

Crowley doesn’t say anything. Just looks at the chalky earth, scuffs his boots a bit.

“Oh, Crowley.” Aziraphale reaches up, gently turns his chin to face him. “I. . .I’m so glad. . .” he doesn’t know what he wants to say. He doesn’t know how to express his gratitude, his wonder at Crowley, building an entire planet for their escape in secret, only to abandon it, leave it hanging in the sky because Aziraphale loves  _ this _ planet so very much. How do you honor love like that? How do you repay it in kind? Aziraphale doesn’t know, but he has a borrowed eternity to try.

“Come have a biscuit, my dear. Tell me about your stars.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> title from ["Proxima B" by Ben Gibbard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqWsHqXJb0c&ab_channel=DeathCabforCutie).


End file.
